Crimping and sealing edge for light gauge sheet materials



H. L. COLE March 20, 1934.

CRIMPING AND SEALING EDGE FOR LIGHT GAUGE SHEET MATERIALS Filed 001;. 29, 1932 MENTOR.

CMEWQ @428. Q

ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES ORE/[PING AND SEALING EDGE FOR LIGHT GAUGE SHEET MATERIALS Hugh L. Cole, Chicago, 111., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Arthur T. Cole, Wheaton, and Hugh L. Cole and Louis D. Summers, both of Chicago, Ill.

Application October 29,

7 Claims.

My invention relates to sheet material fastenings and has for an object to provide a suitable means whereby relatively thin gauge sheet materials may have their adjacent connected edges secured together in the making of products thereof in a manner adapted to prevent escape of gases, loss of fiuids, and the slipping of the connected edges, without having to resort to expensive and awkward methods of fastening sheet material 10 joints together.

A further purpose of my invention is to provide a crimping and sealing edge for light gauge sheet metals and other sheet materials used in the manufacture of sheet material products, and to provide such a holding edge by means of a manufacturing operation which is simple, inexpensive, and thoroughly practical for every purpose for which it is intended.

A further purpose of my invention is to provid as a new product of manufacture a crimping and sealing edge for light gauge sheet materials which in its finished appearance presents ornamentation along the straight edges of a product or on the curved corners thereof.

A further purpose of my invention is to provide a method of crimping and'sealing adjacent connected edges of sheet materials when used in the construction of manufactured products which may eliminate the necessity of welding portions of the edges, and which will provide a peripheral bead about the crimped edge that is smooth to handle and attractive in appearance without the slightest danger involved in handling the products made thereby.

A further purpose of my invention is to provide a crimping and sealing edge for light gauge sheet materials which will give more permanency to the construction and more rigidity, and to provide a joint wherein the expansion and contrac- 40 tion of the metals due to heating and cooling do not in any Way affect the permanency of the joint, while the method of forming the edge whereby the folded over edge of the channeled portion of the metal extending beyond the rear end of the teeth of the forming die therefore results in so shaping the folded edge of the seam as to give it the form of a corrugated or wavy head appearance which adds to the ornamental value of the product and decidedly increases the efficiency of the joint.

A further purpose of my invention is to provide a crimpingand sealing edge for connected light gauge sheet materials in construction of the products made thereof which will have the crimps de- 56 fined by slantingly disposed parallel waves produced by a forming die under high pressures which simultaneously deforms the connected edges into surface shapes which prevent fluid leakage or slipping of either sheet.

60 A further purpose of my invention is to provide 1932, Serial No. 640,246

a means by which joint connections may be made between relatively thin gauge sheet materials, either on straight edges or curved corners, or in odd shaped situations which would be impossible to form, if not excessively expensive to attempt, by other manufacturing methods.

I attain the objects of my invention by the product of manufacture described and claimed in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein like parts are indicated by like numerals in the figures:

Referring to the figures:

Figure 1 is a perspective of a section of a joint construction between connected pieces of sheet materials showing my invention as used along the straight edge of the sheets.

Figure 2 is a perspective of a curved joint showing how a header plate may be successfully crimped and sealed over the outer cylindrical wall plate of a sheet material barrel or other curved corners of products the connected plates of which are secured together by my crimping and sealing edge.

Figure 3 is a further detailed view of the joint shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective of a corner construction where a small radius is required in the use of my crimping and sealing edge where the form of joint is similar to the structure disclosed in Figures 2 and 3.

Figure 5 is a perspective of a space heater unit showing an adaptation of the straight edge and curved corner construction involving the use of my invention.

Figure 6 is a perspective of an end of a cylindrical drum where the header plate and drum walls are connected by my invention.

Figure 7 is a perspective of a drum end showing how a flange edge may be crimped and sealed effectively by the use of my invention.

Figure 8 is a perspective of a single unit forming die adapted to be used especially in the formation of the crimping and sealing edge on curves where a small radius may be involved.

Figure 9 is a perspective disclosing the manner in which the complementary die plates act upon my crimping and sealing edge when forming the same. In this figure is shown the manner in which the peripheral bead is formed on the edge by permitting the folded portion of the channeled member to hang over the longitudinal central channel of the die while the crimps are being made in the connected edges of the material formed thereby.

Figure 10 is a perspective disclosing the manner in which the adjacent edges of the sheets are formed and assembled before the die is applied.

Referring in detail to the construction of my crimping and, sealing edge for light gauge sheet materials, I shall point out the salient features thereof and some of the practical adaptations of this method.

This method is one adapted to form a gas tight or water tight joint between two angularly connected sheets of relatively light gauge material with the joint so formed as to prevent the sheets from slipping after once being connected; an advantage being in the rigidity of construction and cheapness or economy in the manufacture thereof.

In this method an edging operation is one of the first steps whereby an edge of one of the sheets is formed to provide a channel wherein the other sheet is to be inserted (see Fig. 10). This first operation is essential either along a straight edge joint or on a curved corner construction.

It will be observed that, when the second sheet is inserted in the channel of the first to be crimped therewith, the formation of the fitting edge is adapted to make the joint fluid proof and prevent slipping of the sheets after the die operation under any existing known conditions. However, there may be conditions arise wherein it would be desirable to use a gasket strip in the channel along side of the edge of the sheet that is inserted in the channel as shown in Figure 10.

The die usedin the formation of this joint is especially designed for this purpose and is the subject matter of a separate and distinct patent application which was filed October 29, 1932, and bearing Serial Number 640,245.

When forming this joint the complementary die plates producing it are inserted into a standard punch press prepared to exert great pressure in forming a seal.

With this method of forming the joints, various shapes of sheet material fittings and joint fastenings are possible and practicable and economical that would be excessively expensive under any other known method and impossible to produce in any other method with the degree of success and efliciency obtained by my invention. The formation pf the joint is done under such pressure that the metal is set in its formed position.

The die used in forming my crimping and sealing edge somewhat resembles a herring bone gear arranged in a flat plane. The raised ribs of the die are disposed on an angle across the face of the die. Thus the crimps put into the sheet metal joints are put in on an angle, resulting in effectively sealing the joints and preventing slipping of the plates in the joint.

,In the die formation of this joint the folded over edge of the channeled sheet extends over beyond the rear? end pf the front row of forming ribs of the die, thus to permit this folded edge not to be touched by the die, thus avoiding any cracking of the folded edge and producing instead a peripheral edge on the joint having the form of a rounded bead with a corrugated or wavy appearance. This tends to present an ornamental appearance on the finished product.

This die is also made in a curved form which in the manufacture of the edge of my invention will permit the crimping and sealing operation around curved corners or drum ends or flanges where radii of various dimensions may be involved in the forming of the curves. This small die, consisting in its simplest form of two spaced forming ribs disposed at an angle across the face of the die defining a channel between them and a single forming rib on the complementary die member disposed at a corresponding angle and adapted to register when in operation within the channel between the two spaced forming ribs, is adapted to crimp and seal small radii joints or curved corners.

My crimping and sealing edge when applied to various sheet metal products presents a much improved appearance over the products resulting from other methods employed at present. Some of the other standard methods of joining light sheet metals are by double seaming or welding. Some seaming operations are confined more or less to round or oval shapes and do not lend themselves to rectangular construction, while the welding process of joining light sheet metals is expensive due to hand work and the required perfection needed in joints that are welded. An effective job of welding requires skill in the operation, while in the lighter sheet metals the welding operation has been found to be impractical due to the fact that the heat produced in the welding process readily burns through the metal sheets to be joined.

My crimping and sealing edge and the method of forming it has flexibility, since most any gauge of sheet material from sixteen down to thirty-six gauge may be successfully handled. I

The only adjustment necessary, for a variation in the gauge of the metals will be in properly setting the stroke of the punch press for the desired thickness of metal; thus it will be seen that my crimping and sealing method for sheet metal joints is accurate, lends itself to large production and does it more economically than other known methods of joining light gauge sheet materials.

Referring now to the drawing for explaining the manipulations required in the production of my crimping and sealing edge:

I first form a channeled edge 1 on a sheet of light gauge material 2 so that an edge 3 of a second sheet 4 may be slipped into the channel 5 of sheet 2. When thus assembled the two sheets are placed into a die having complementary members 6 and '7 as shown in Figure 9 adapted to cooperate in a manner permitting the forming ribs 8 of die member '7 to register in the channels 9 of die member 6.

Rib members 8 are disposed at an angle across the face of the die member while rib members 10 are adapted to fit into channels 11 between the ribs 8.

Die members 6 and '7 are each provided with a longitudinal central channel 12 ,and 13 respectively so as to make it possible when forming the crimping and sealing edge of my invention to permit the rounded edge 14 of thechanneled sheet 2 to hang over the longitudinal central channel while the die members are pressed down against edge ,1 to form the crimps 15 and corresponding raised portion 16 in the crimping and sealing edge securing together sheets 2 and 4.

By thus permitting the rounded edge 14 to register over the central longitudinal channel 12 for instance when the edge is being formed to hold the sheets together a bead 17 is formed of edge 14 shaping it into a Wavy corrugated appearance with it untouched bythe die leaving this edge free from cracks or breaks in the metal.

It will be observed that the crimping operation therefore forms a depression on one side of the edge opposite a raised place on the other side and it will be further observed that by having raised ribs 8 and 10 slantingly disposed or angularly disposed across the face of therespective die members the result is to produce an an- 15 gular crimp or series of crimps in the fitting edge thus formed tending not only to seal the edge but also to prevent the connected sheets from slipping either longitudinally or transversely.

Where my crimping and sealing edge is tov be used on a curve such as flanged ends of drums or rounded corners on sheet metal products the crimping maybe done on a single unit die such as is shown in Figure 8 whereby a curve may be negotiated in the crimping process without difliculty on curves of various radii.

With this die raised ribs 18 and 19 cooperate with raised rib 20 and channel 21 to form approximately one and one-half crimps at a time (see Figuresz, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7).

It will be noted that die members '6 and 7 are so constructed that when raised ribs 8 and 10 along the front edge of the die (shown at the rear in Figure 9) become dull then the die members may be' reversed from end to end permitting forming ribs 22 and 23 to be used in like manner.

When it is considered that by my invention I produce a practical economical, and efiicient crimping and sealing edge for light gauge sheet materials that is convenient to manufacture, safe to handle and attractive in appearance then the salient features and novel merit thereof will be understood.

Having thus described the nature of my invention what I claim is: r

1. The method of crimping and sealing connected edges of angularly engaged sheet material comprising forming an edge or curved corner of one sheet into an angular channel; slipping a free edge or curved corner of an adjacent sheet into said channel and pressing said channel and said free edges with a crimping die in a manner defining in said edges slantingly disposed opposite alternate recesses in the surface of said connected edges; said recesses thus formed in their spacing so as to leave the folded edge of the channeled sheet in the form of a peripheral bead about the finished edge; thus to prevent fluid leakage from containers formed by said sheets and to prevent longitudinal or transverse slipping of said sheets.

2. A crimping and sealing edge forsheet materials possessing pliable characteristics comprising a folded channeled edge or curved corner of one sheet engaging and interwaved with a free edge or curved corner of an adjacent angularly disposed sheet; said waves in the connected edges disposed at an angle with the edges and spaced from the folded portion of said channeled edge in a manner defining a rounded peripheral bead on the finished edge; said crimping and sealing edge forming a fluid proof connection between said sheets and adapted to prevent either longitudinal or transverse slipping between said sheets.

3. A crimping and sealing edge for light gauge sheet materials comprising a free edge of a material sheet engaged by an angularly disposed channel edge of an adjacent sheet of material; said channeled edge of said second sheet formed with said free edge into a plurality of angularly disposed waves defining opposite alternate recesses in the plane surface of said connected edges; said recesses sufiiciently spaced from the folded edge of 'said channel to define a rounded bead on the thus formed may become proof against fluid leakage and adapted to prevent slipping between said sheets.

4. A crimping and sealing edge for light gauge sheet materials comprising a channeled edge of a material sheet engaging a free edge of a material sheet at an angle and said connected edges pressed together in a manner defining a plurality of parallel angularly disposed crimps spaced alternately on opposite sides of the channeled edge; said crimps defining waves in said connected edge and affecting an inter angular gripping action upon both of said connected edges; thus, tending to preventeither longitudinal or transverse slipping of said connected edges of the material and providing a seal against fluid leaks from containers to be made from said materials; said crimps in said edge spaced from the folded edge of the channeled member so as to provide a rounded peripheral bead on said crimping and sealing edge.

5. As a new article of manufacture a crimping and sealing edge for light gauge sheet materials comprising a channeled edge of a material sheet turned at an angle with the plane of the sheet and a free edge of an adjacent sheet engaged by the channel in said channel edge holding said sheets at an angle with each other and said connected edges deformed together in a manner defining a series of parallel waves slantingly disposed so as to affect a common gripping action between said sheet edges; said waves in said connected edges terminating short of the folded edge of said channeled sheet in a manner defining a rounded peripheral bead on said crimping and sealing edge; whereby, said connection between said adjacent sheets may thus prevent loss of fluids from containers made from said sheets and whereby said crimps and waves formed at an angle in said edge may'prevent longitudinal or transverse slipping of said connected sheets.

6. A crimping and sealing edge for sheet materials possessing pliable characteristics comprising a free edge of a material sheet of relatively light gauge and an angularly disposed channeled edge of an adjacent sheet engaging said free edge and a strip of gasket material disposed between said sheets within said channel; said connected edges of said sheets deformed together by pressure so as to define thereon opposite alternate wavy recesses disposed at an angle with said connected edges in the plane surface of said connected edges; said recesses and said edges sufliciently spaced from the folded edge of said channel to define a rounded bead on the finished crimping and sealing edge; whereby, said connected edge may be fluid proof and may prevent slipping between said sheets. v

7. A crimping and sealing edge for sheet materials comprising in integral combination sheet material units secured together along parallel finishing edges, one of said sheets having its edge turned at an angle with the plane of the sheet and a free edge of the other sheet engaged by a channel in the edge of the first sheet, and said edges deformed together defining inintegral com- HUGH L. cone. 

